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Firms 'innovative' during recession

Many companies have turned away from cutting jobs during the recession and have instead found alternatives to reduce spending.

That is according to John Taylor, chief executive of employee conciliation service Acas, who noted that the "redundancy button" has not been the first option for some firms.

He added that changes to working patterns, such as amendments to shifts or reductions in working hours, have helped businesses keep staff on.

"There are two things that drive this … The employer generally will have spent thousands of pounds recruiting somebody, training them, inducting them, getting them to understand the culture of the company and how it actually works," Mr Taylor explained.

"From an individual's point of view, they will have spent several years at this organisation and [may] really like it."

A report published earlier this summer by accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that flexible working is the most valued employment benefit for the majority of workers polled.

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